A leisurely, sublimely detailed introduction to an adventure series with potential.
A family vacationing in Nepal becomes entangled in a prophecy and the hunt for a mythical relic in Nayampalli’s YA series-starter.
Ravi Sharma and his family live in Bahrain. They collectively decide to head to India for two weeks along with Ravi’s parents, who are visiting from New York. Rather than wait on visas, they catch a flight to India’s neighbor, Nepal, which they’ve only just traced the Sharma lineage to. Everyone is excited, save Ravi and his wife Sophie’s oldest child, 16-year-old Harrison, who’d rather stay in Bahrain with friends. But his mood quickly lightens up as the family basks in Nepal’s rich culture, stops by the Monkey Temple, and embarks on a jungle safari. All the while, members of an ancient order secretly watch them. This is because Harrison may very well be the prophesied Seeker slated to find the legendary Heart of Kumari, a red diamond containing untold power. The Sharmas face great danger—four earlier prospective Seekers have died in the past year. Nayampalli’s opening series installment is a love letter to Nepal—sparkling descriptions of the country fill the pages, including paeans to its fiery cuisine, centuries of history, and luxurious scenery. The author’s prose is simply impeccable, making even meals sound adventurous: “There was also chiura, or beaten rice, a dish whose origins dated back to ancient times. Served with a dollop of thick, creamy yogurt, it is a beloved part of Nepali culture.” For most of the novel, the family vacation takes precedence, generally eclipsing Harrison’s date with destiny and the diamond everyone seems to be clamoring for. Still, there are periodic signs of brewing menaces, from an ever-looming “shadowy figure” to more than one ostensibly friendly local keeping secrets from the Sharmas.
A leisurely, sublimely detailed introduction to an adventure series with potential.Pub Date: March 10, 2025
ISBN: 9798989502004
Page Count: 364
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A prototypical survival story: after an airplane crash, a 13-year-old city boy spends two months alone in the Canadian wilderness. In transit between his divorcing parents, Brian is the plane's only passenger. After casually showing him how to steer, the pilot has a heart attack and dies. In a breathtaking sequence, Brian maneuvers the plane for hours while he tries to think what to do, at last crashing as gently and levelly as he can manage into a lake. The plane sinks; all he has left is a hatchet, attached to his belt. His injuries prove painful but not fundamental. In time, he builds a shelter, experiments with berries, finds turtle eggs, starts a fire, makes a bow and arrow to catch fish and birds, and makes peace with the larger wildlife. He also battles despair and emerges more patient, prepared to learn from his mistakes—when a rogue moose attacks him and a fierce storm reminds him of his mortality, he's prepared to make repairs with philosophical persistence. His mixed feelings surprise him when the plane finally surfaces so that he can retrieve the survival pack; and then he's rescued. Plausible, taut, this is a spellbinding account. Paulsen's staccato, repetitive style conveys Brian's stress; his combination of third-person narrative with Brian's interior monologue pulls the reader into the story. Brian's angst over a terrible secret—he's seen his mother with another man—is undeveloped and doesn't contribute much, except as one item from his previous life that he sees in better perspective, as a result of his experience. High interest, not hard to read. A winner.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1987
ISBN: 1416925082
Page Count: -
Publisher: Bradbury
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1987
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
